Recreational Dating

Ten Biblical Reasons Why Recreational Dating is WRONG!

1. Recreational Dating does not glorify GOD. Instead, recreational dating is all about glorifying and uplifting yourself and your partner, many times even to a status that is above God. Would you rather glorify God or mankind?

1 Corinthians 10:31 - Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for God's glory.

2. Christians are to be different and set apart from this world. The world does not love or honor God. Rather it loves sin and wickedness. So, if everybody in the world seems to be doing something and enjoying it, then it’s probably best for Christians not to get involved with it. Everyone is dating for fun. But, God calls us to be different! Are you willing to be different for God?

1 John 2:15-17 - Do not love the world or the things that belong to the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in him. Because everything that belongs to the world— the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride in one's lifestyle— is not from the Father, but is from the world. And the world with its lust is passing away, but the one who does God's will remains forever.

3. It distorts the true meaning of the word ‘LOVE’. True love is that selfless sacrifice that Christ showed for us by dying on the cross even though we didn’t deserve it. The ‘love’ you find in typical dating relationships is love that involves no sacrifice or commitment and only lasts around three weeks. Don’t you think that God has more in store for you than just random three week-long relationships with different partners?

John 3:16 - For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Romans 5:8 - But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

4. It takes your mind off of God. Your mind should be focused on Christ. When you begin to let useless things clutter your mind, then Christ can easily become un-important to you. It is very difficult to do the will of God when you don’t have the mind of Christ. What thoughts do you want to occupy your mind?

1 Corinthians 2:16 - "For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?" But we have the mind of Christ.

5. You begin to uplift another person higher than God (which means you are committing idolatry). God takes idolatry very seriously. It is very easy to fall into idolatry when you practice recreational dating. You can quickly begin to value and adore your partner more than you value and adore GOD. Are you worshiping the Creator or the creation?

1 Corinthians 10:14 - Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry.

Exodus 20:2-5 - “You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.”

6. You begin to desire your partner more than you desire GOD. God deserves all the honor, praise, glory and desires of your heart. We serve a merciful, great, loving, true God who is worthy of all our attention. We shouldn’t desire anyone or anything above God. How evil would it be for us to put God on hold to spend time with someone else?

Psalm 42:1-2 - As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.

Psalm 73:25-26 - Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

7. Your emotions can easily become controlled by your partner. If your partner acts nice to you, then you are happy and full of joy. If your partner is mean to you, then you are sad to the point of depression. If you don’t get to see your partner for a while then you become angry and depressed. But, our emotions should not be controlled by our partner. Instead we should always be joyful because of what Christ has done for us! Are you joyful because of what Christ has done for you?

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 - Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

8. Christians are called to present their bodies as a living sacrifice! This means that we are to give up our bodies for God’s use. So, the misuse of our bodies such as kissing random partners and touching inappropriate places is a violation of this call. If we give our bodies up to God as a living sacrifice, then we can’t take them back and pollute them all we want. Are you willing to give up your body as a living sacrifice for God?

Romans 12:1 - Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship.

9. We are called to RUN away from youthful lusts and avoid sexual temptation! Getting involved with various romances is not exactly running from temptation. Actually, by dating recreation-ally you are doing the exact opposite! You are running into youthful lust on purpose! If you really want to follow Jesus, then why put yourself in the position to sin?

2 Timothy 2:22 - Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.

10. God calls us to be pure in marriage and our preparation for marriage. It’s not just about ‘not having sex’. Purity in marriage is more than that. It includes the romantic acts that you have with people before your marriage. It includes the number of people you have ‘hooked up with’ before your marriage. If I were to fix a glass of clean pure water and then drop one dead fly in it and ask people to drink it… most everyone would say ‘NO!’. In the same way that the water must be perfectly pure and spotless, so must we. How pure would you want your wife or husband to be?

Hebrews 13:4 - Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.

+ Jakab +

Prayer: Lord, I pray that people would flee from their sinful ways. I pray that they wouldn't even submit to a yoke of slavery! I pray that they would remove any and every object or practice in their lives that takes their main focus off of you. I pray for strength and encouragement for those who are actually following you faithfully. Amen.

My Burden

I feel burdened to reach the lost for Christ. I feel as if I always should be doing more. When compared to others, I seem to do much more than most of those who claim to be Christians. However, it is not of my own effort. Some of the things that I have grown to realize and come to trust are the following.

1. Living for the glory of God is more important than doing for the glory of God.

The main goal is not to work myself to death in ministry, but to grow closer and closer to God. I don't need to be a Christian superstar, I need to be like Jesus Christ. The church activities, the vacation bible schools, the sunday schools, the youth activities are all minor things compared to my personal relationship to Christ. I need to be constantly examining myself and growing in conformity to Jesus Christ.

2. The small things matter. The Bible reading, the time in prayer, the kind words I speak, the time spent with my lil' cousin are all very important.

I will become physically, mentally, and spiritually exhausted if I am always seeking to do the big things. I have noticed recently how much my time spent in Prayer and Bible reading effects my life. I am more at peace when I spend more time with God. Recently, I have begun to recognize my priorities in life. I have grown to value my time with my lil' cousin more than anything else. I am beginning to realize more and more how my life when fully submitted to God can impact his own life. But, it isn't me. It's God being gracious enough to use little ol' me.

3. My talents are worthless. God's grace is what matters.

Sometimes I feel as if I really don't impact others, because I don't have some outstanding talent. I sometimes think that perhaps if I could sing or rap or write, then more people would be impacted by what I say. While I don't want any glory for myself, I still think that I could impact more people for Christ if I had some outrageous talent. But, God says otherwise. Talent will not save anyone whom God does not use it to save. Salvation is of the Lord. It is God and His grace that I should trust in to impact others, not my own talents.

4. Believing in Christ is not just a one time decision.

I must believe in Christ for my finances, my jobs, my family, my friends, my happiness, my life, everything! Now, I am not some Joel Osteen follower who would dare to believe in God for a 'Mercedes Benz' or anything like that. But, what I am speaking of is fully trusting in Christ for everything. I can not trust in myself for anything. I must deny myself and kill my flesh daily. In addition I must turn my trust to Christ daily to provide for all my needs. He is able. He cares for the birds.

Prayer: God help me to be less so that you can use me more. I don't want glory. I don't want fame. My main desire is to glorify you. If I falter and that does not remain my main desire, please humble me until it is. I want to be like Christ. I don't care to be a superstar. Lord, all I ask is that you would be gracious enough to use me. Soli Deo Gloria.

+ Jakab +

The Gospel

1. God is Holy Righteous and Just. He requires complete righteousness to enter Heaven.

2. Man is Sinful, Wretched, and Carnal. We have all broken God's Law and thus fall short of His Glory. We don't deserve Heaven. We deserve the wrath of God. We deserve hell.

3. God has recognized our problem and in His Love and Mercy has provided a solution. The solution provided is Jesus Christ. Christ lived a perfect sinless holy life. Then He took our sins upon Himself and suffered under the wrath of God. Christ was crucified and then resurrected. Christ took our punishment upon Himself, so that we could be justified before God through His righteous work.

4. God has extended the offer of salvation through Jesus Christ to all men, women and children. He promises to save them if they repent of their sins (turn from them, hate them) and truly believe (completely place their trust) in Jesus Christ.

5. If mankind repents and believes unto Salvation, God changes their hearts and makes them new creations in Christ, who no longer desire to sin and break His law, but rather desire to love and honor Him by living holy lives.

So... what are you waiting for? Repent and believe while there is still time left.

Mark 1:15 - "The time has come," he said. "The Kingdom of God is near! Repent and Believe the GOSPEL!"

Prayer: Lord, my prayer is that people would receive salvation. The gospel that you have offered us is such 'good news'. I pray that people would turn from their sins and place their entire trust in you for salvation. Let your will be done.

+ Jakab +